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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25815007">Legacy</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/LightSage89/pseuds/LightSage89'>LightSage89</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Artemis Fowl - Eoin Colfer</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Any hints of romance are extremely slight, Artemis' Aliases, At this point they are best friends, Dropping the mask, F/M, Family legacy, Gen, With a little thought of what they could be in the future</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-08-10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 12:14:27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>5,375</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25815007</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/LightSage89/pseuds/LightSage89</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Artemis Fowl the Second is well aware that the Lower Elements have yet to forgive him for his actions against the people. But humans can be just as unforgiving of past misdeeds.</p><p>I wrote this story as therapy from watching the Artemis Fowl movie. Disney done my boy wrong, and I just wanted to do something right.</p><p>Artemis Fowl is owned by Eoin Colfer. Disney? Who is that. Never heard of them, especially not related to Artemis Fowl...</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Artemis Fowl II &amp; Holly Short, Artemis Fowl II/Holly Short</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>50</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Legacy</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>To be frank… the Artemis Fowl movie is so bad that I’m still angry about it all this time later. I think it’s just about all that I’ve talked about on my Facebook and Tumblr, annoying both my relatives and fans, respectively. So I decided to break my non-writing streak and throw together just a little one shot for my favorite Irish criminal mastermind. You know… to remind myself that there is good Artemis Fowl content out there. And that Artemis is, and always will be, the heir to a centuries old criminal empire.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>(Dublin, Ireland, Mid-morning)</p><p>It was, perhaps, not the first place that one would think of if they wanted to find Artemis Fowl the Second, eldest son of the fabulously wealthy Fowl family. A small, quaint tea shop offered little in the way of the amenities that Artemis was typically accustomed. However, there were a couple of things about this particular tea shop that drew Artemis there. Excellent tea, a covered patio that would permit him to enjoy the outdoors without subjecting himself to direct sunlight, and this specific table that allowed him to sit far enough away from the road so as to not be spotted and recognized by passersby.</p><p>
  <span>To be fair, it was not like Artemis had much to do back home. Unlike the rest of the world, Artemis was six months behind everyone else when recovering from the Great Technology </span>
  <span>C</span>
  <span>rash caused by Opal Koboi. In their grief, Artemis’ parents had cleaned the destroyed equipment in his personal lab, but had not bothered to replace it. So Artemis was still in the process of returning his lab to its former </span>
  <span>functionality</span>
  <span> and sometimes there was little more he could do than wait for the equipment that he needed to be delivered.</span>
</p><p>Even worse that the lost of the physical equipment was the loss of a library’s worth of data on Artemis’ projects. As intelligent as Artemis no doubt is, he did not possess a photographic memory. Therefore the loss of all that data had set many of his projects back years or decades.</p><p>On some days, standing in the ruins of his lab simply left him distressed at the loss, and this was one of those days. So he had fled Fowl Manor and taken refuge in this little tea shop. At least he had his cellphone. That had been the first thing he repaired. Thankfully, since he had built the phone himself, there was only minor damage to it when a single chip sparked out of existence. The internet, too, had been restored, but not exactly as it was. Much had been lost in the Crash.</p><p><em>Thankfully, not as much as others.</em><span> Artemis thought to himself as he read a report on the recovery of world wide currency in the aftermath of the Crash. The loss of bank systems worldwide had thrown the economy into disarray. Many millionaires and </span><span>billionaires</span> <span>had suddenly found themselves the proud owners of stacks of worthless paper </span><span>or countless bank accounts that had become worthless overnight.</span><span> Thankfully, the Fowl family had mostly been spared this. Once again, they found they had lost the title of billionaires, but they were still easy multi-millionaires. </span><em>Aurum potestas est.</em><span> Gold is power. Both Artemis and his parents had enough of their wealth in physical objects with very real value that they were not left destitute. </span><span>In the aftermath of the Crash, the Fowls might not be the wealthiest family left in Europe, but they were probably the wealthiest non-royal family in Europe. Thus, Artemis’ interest in not being spotted or recognized. </span></p><p>The last thing that he needed right now was to be tracked down by another former member of Irish high society and offered a daughter in marriage. Legally, at least, he was 19 years old and therefore old enough to get married, even if he was actually 16… or a couple of months old, depending on how you saw things.</p><p>
  <em>Get your mind off such foolishness. </em>
  <span>Artemis mentally ordered himself, lifting his teacup up to his lips.</span>
</p><p>“Good morning, Arty.” A voice suddenly spoke from the road.</p><p>
  <span>Automatically, Artemis looked around, and when he saw who had spoken, it was only a lifetime of aristocratic upbringing that kept him from spitting out the tea in shock. “</span>
  <span>H—Holly!” He gasped, setting the teacup down quickly to avoid an embarrassing spill.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was Holly. He was 99.8% sure that it was Holly. In all ways except in one regard, the woman standing on the road outside the tea shop was certainly Holly Short dressed in civilian clothing </span>
  <span>and a wide brimmed sun hat</span>
  <span>. However, the woman standing there also appeared to be human, standing at slightly shorter than the average height for a human woman and rounded human-like ears.</span>
</p><p>“<span>How are you…?” Artemis began, before he remembered himself. “Of course. Am I to assume that Number 1 has made this glamour for you?”</span></p><p>“It’s a bit more than a glamour.” Holly said. “Do you mind if I join you in the shade? This hat is just not enough to keep me totally out of the sunlight.”</p><p>“Of course.” Artemis said, gesturing for her to sit on the other chair that was at his table. “If I may say so, when you called and told me that you would be dropping by today, I was under the impression that you would come to Fowl Manor after sunset, and certainly not out in public looking like a human woman.” While Holly was sitting down and taking off her hat, Artemis caught the eye of one of the wait staff. Artemis didn’t need to say anything before another teacup had been delivered to their table. “Would you like some tea?” Artemis asked.</p><p>“Yes, thank you. It’s been a long flight.” Holly said, gratefully accepting the tea and taking a long drink.</p><p>“Your appearance?” Artemis questioned when she finished her drink to remind her that he was still waiting for an explanation.</p><p>“<span>Number 1 cooked up this little transformation spell and he thinks that it will be a good way to allow long term recon missions to the surface. The changes are only skin deep. On the inside, I’m still a fairy.” Holly said, tapping her finger on the table and sending a tiny spark of magic along her fingernail just to show that she still had all her magical powers despite her appearance. “</span><span>Of course, Commander Kelp wants this thing put through a stress test before we start sending fairies up here in disguise, so I have orders to wander around Dublin, mingling with the humans, trying to pass myself off as one. So, Artemis… would you care to show me around Dublin today?”</span></p><p>
  <span>To most people, Artemis would refuse and tell them to hire a tour guide. But this was Holly Short. There was very little that Artemis would not be willing to do for her. He had literally died for her. Once you have done that for someone, most favors become a given. </span>
  <span>And, perhaps, just for a single day, Artemis could pretend that they were normal friends. Maybe even indulge a little bit into the feelings that he has for her. “Of course. Allow me to show you around my hometown.”</span>
</p><hr/><p>This was possibly one of the best days of Artemis’ life. Normally, he would have found walking down the streets people-watching to be incredibly dull. But nothing is ever boring when you have a beautiful woman linking her arm with yours. Holly had done so without any prompting from him, and he was very glad for it.</p><p>
  <span>Artemis remained alert every time she spoke a few words with random passersby. After all, the point was to blend in, so she had to take some risks that she would normally never take. Thankfully, she had spent enough time in human company over the last several years that she could pass for a human fairly easily. At the very least, she let nothing fairy slip. She didn’t even slip up and call them humans or Mud People, which was the thing that Artemis was most worried for.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Holly, for herself, was having a great time as well. Artemis’ death had served as a great reminder of just how special he was to her. </span>
  <span>Platonic? Romantic? Such distinctions were meaningless in the face of what was between the two of them. No matter where they ended up, they would remain so important to each other’s lives. Even his mistakes seemed unimportant and she had completely forgiven him. Not that she’d tell him that right out. Nor would she try to push their relationship towards being romantic while Artemis was still 16. She could wait. She had far more time than he did.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>For now, she could just simply revel in the closeness that did exist between the two of them. Imagining what it would be like to be his beloved. </span>
  <em>Perhaps a lot like this.</em>
  <span> Holly thought to herself when she and Artemis stopped in front of a jewelry store and he was attempting to convince her to let him buy her something.</span>
</p><p>“Really, Holly, it is no trouble for me. In all honesty, I could purchase this whole store. A little trinket is the least I can do to show how I appreciate your friendship.” Artemis told Holly while also questioning the shopkeep about the purity of the gold for their necklaces.</p><p>
  <span>Eventually, Artemis wore her down and allowed him to purchase a new chain for her necklace from which hung her copy of the Book and another sealed acorn unit. Probably very illegal, but Artemis was not going to report her to Commander Kelp. </span>
  <span>However, unlike her old chain, this new chain was pure 24 </span>
  <span>c</span>
  <span>aret gold.</span>
</p><p>“<span>Thank you, Artemis. Why don’t you help me put it on?” Holly asked, turning her back to him. “I’ll transfer over the things on my necklace later.”</span></p><p>Even if she were willing to give him permission to touch her copy of the Book, Artemis knew that it wouldn’t be a very good idea to expose such an artifact out in public if they could help it. It is true that no one would know what it was, but the Book was too sensitive an artifact to just expose for any amount of frivolity.</p><p>Artemis smiled and, after a brief moment of fumbling with the necklace’s latch, was able to secure the gold chain around Holly’s neck. Feeling just a little bit brave, he briefly brushed his fingers against the soft skin of her neck as he pulled away, but didn’t do anything further. “Now, shall I see how it looks on you?” Artemis asked. Holly turned around and he gratefully eyed the chain that hung around her neck and dipped in between her breasts. “Beautiful.” He said. He wasn’t talking about the necklace.</p><p>Holly ignored these small moments. After all, Artemis was 16, and she read that was the age that young humans really started to develop a sex drive. It wasn’t the same for all humans, but that was about the time when sex hormones started to rage. She forgave Artemis his distractions. After all, it wasn’t like she was a blushing virgin herself. She wasn’t afraid of him or his feelings. She just felt that now wasn’t the right time to properly indulge them.</p><p>“Thank you, Artemis. It is beautiful.” Once again, she linked her arm with his, grinning at the slight blush that couldn’t be hidden on his pale face, and they began to walk out of the store together.</p><p>
  <span>They passed a pair of teenage girls just heading into the store. </span>
  <span>Judging by their clothes and the fact that they were even entering a jewelry store so soon after the Crash probably meant that they were debutantes in Irish high society. Artemis didn’t recognize them on sight, however. There were so many young girls at the parties that he had been forced to attend with his parents, and most of them were bland but pretty girls with the same cookie-cutter personality.</span>
</p><p>“Oh my God.” One of the teenagers whispered to her friend as they walked past. “Did you see who that was?”</p><p>“Who? Oh! Oh, isn’t that Artemis Fowl the Second?” The second girl replied.</p><p>“It certainly looks like him.” The first girl commented. “We should get out of here, now. Have you seen the man who the Fowls hired to guard him? He looks terrifying! Like he could break you in half just by looking at you.”</p><p>“He would probably do that to anyone who even looks at the Fowl heir funny.” The second girl commented. “And it’s worse than that. It’s the whole family. Lords of the Irish Mafia. Anyone who crosses them ends up in prison, financially ruined, or dead in a shallow grave.”</p><p>“Who do you think the girl is?”</p><p>“Probably the daughter of one of the high ranking members of their gang.” The second girl whispered. “You know how those crime families operate.”</p><p>
  <span>T</span>
  <span>hey had walked away and now even Holly could not continue to overhear the girls even with her elfish hearing. She highly doubted that Artemis had heard most of the conversation. After all, human ears are so much weaker than her own. She glanced up at his face. If he had heard, he gave no indication that he had heard.</span>
</p><p>“Where shall we go next?” Artemis asked. “Perhaps some lunch? I’ve heard that there is a very good vegetarian restaurant near here. I’ve never actually been there, but Mother’s vegetarian friends swear by the food there.”</p><p>“That would be very nice. Thank you.” Holly said, her mind on other things as Artemis led her down the street.</p><hr/><p>
  <span>On the way to the restaurant Holly started to notice the stares that they were being given by passer</span>
  <span>s</span>
  <span>by. At first, Holly had thought that it might be because of her. She looked human, but nut brown skin and red hair was not at all common among the people of Ireland. However, she soon saw that many people didn’t even give her a second look. And if she spoke to them, they seemed unable to even look Artemis in the eyes.</span>
</p><p>She even saw the Garda giving Artemis suspicious looks from down the street. Suspicious or not, no one dared to stop him. For the most part, Fairy society only cared about Artemis Fowl in the fact that he was a direct threat to their safety as a human with fairy knowledge. It had been years since Foaly had given the LEP their official databank on Artemis Fowl and his criminal family. Centuries of crime that seemed to be fairly well known to Artemis’ fellow humans.</p><p>Once they got to the restaurant, Artemis gave the host a generous tip in order to secure himself and Holly a private room. They were also seated right away. Once they were seated and had placed their orders did Holly dare to bring up her observations to the teenage genius. “It seems to me that humans are almost as scared of you as fairies are.” Holly commented.</p><p>“<span>Really? What has brought on this observation?” Artemis asked.</span></p><p>“Did you notice all the people staring at you today?” Holly asked, a little shocked. Artemis had always been very observant, able to notice things that many people missed. She didn’t think that he would just miss the way humans were treating him.</p><p>Artemis thought for a moment, and then he nodded. “They have always treated me like that. I suppose I took no notice because that is how I am normally treated when I leave the Manor.”</p><p>“Even the Garda were glaring at you.” Holly commented.</p><p>
  <span>Artemis chuckled. “They would dearly love to prosecute a member of the Fowl family. But we don’t have to worry about them. Between you and I, the LEP are much harder to evade and I have done so. It would be a sorry day, indeed, for a member of the Fowl family to get caught by a simple </span>
  <span>human</span>
  <span> police force.” Artemis trailed off, noticing Holly’s change in expression. “Holly. Crime is in my blood, the legacy of my family, and it is a mantle that is not so easily removed. I can’t promise you that my activities are totally legal, but I have still been doing good in my own way. The businesses that I bankrupt or buy out are nearly all better off for it. </span>
  <span>The art that I steal goes back to museums and I don’t even forge copies of these rare pieces anymore. A portion of the money that I steal gets donated to various charities.”</span>
</p><p>“I know, Artemis. I know. Better than anyone, perhaps.” Holly admitted. “You are so different from the person that you were when we first met that you couldn’t even recognize yourself.” A little inside joke between the two of them regarding their misadventures in the past and how young Artemis had believed that his future self was simply a distant cousin after the family money. “Even if you still dabble in crime, all of Foaly’s reports say that you have been remarkably generous and that your parents have completely gone legit. So why do they all still treat you like some… mob boss?”</p><p>“A mob boss’ son, strictly speaking.” Artemis said. “There are very few humans who know of the crimes that I have committed. A vast majority of my criminal activities have been in relation to the People, so humans are under the impression that I am simply the heir to a criminal empire rather than being the former head of it.”</p><p>“<span>So…</span><span> how widely known is your family’s history anyway?” Holly asked, curious.</span></p><p>“It’s fairly common knowledge.” Artemis said. “Anyone with access to Interpol would know a great deal about the criminal affairs of my family. Not to mention that a sensationalist news program in America ran a program about a year ago about crime families and my family was one of many discussed.” Artemis said, rolling his eyes in disgust at the memory.</p><p>The ‘investigative journalists’ had painted the Fowls like a stereotypical mob family even down to accusations of murder. Murder was not a line that the Fowls had crossed for several generations now. It was a lot harder to get away with murder now, and a lot easier to just ruin someone. The Fowls didn’t have an army of goons, shooting from the hip, and robbing banks. No. The Fowls were modern white collar criminals, doing a vast majority of their work online or by phone.</p><p>But, then again, what more could one expect of American journalism? “The program painted my family in the worst light possible. And while there was very little mention of me since there is no evidence of me having ever committed a crime, I am still suspect.”</p><p>“Then you should be more forthcoming about the good work you do.” Holly said. “Foaly has noticed that your aliases for doing good far outnumber the ones that you use for committing crimes.”</p><p>“Really? Foaly thinks that he’s got all my aliases figured out?” Artemis asked.</p><p>“I don’t know about that, but he’s found enough of them to notice the overall pattern. You try much harder to hide your true identity for doing acts of good. Foaly used to have a very easy time finding Artemis Fowl aliases. Just look for the names that make a pun.”</p><p>Artemis didn’t mind that the People knew about his penchant for names that make puns. He didn’t even mind if his fellow humans figured out the joke. He loved to read the theories and conspiracy theories about who was the mastermind behind the pun names appearing in scientific journals. Nothing that would lead back to him unless they were better at hacking than Artemis himself. But it was also true that there were several projects that Artemis was involved with that he did not wish people to know about, so he was far more careful about choosing aliases for those causes. Exposing himself was not worth the joke.</p><p>“The puns led Foaly to a lot of scientific journals, several noted hackers…” Holly trailed off, giving Artemis a small grin. “...Romance novels.”</p><p>“Ro…” Artemis choked, and attempted to cover up the noise as simply clearing his throat. “I have no idea what you are referring to. I have never…”</p><p>“Give it up, Violet.” Holly said. “Foaly was so tickled with that one that he spread the news around the LEP. Even Commander Root had cracked a smile when he heard.”</p><p>Nothing could stop the deep blush on Artemis’ face. No matter how much he wished to play it off like this was not bothering him, it was. But then another thought occurred to him. If the Violet Tsublou name was compromised… Artemis wondered if he could send a hasty e-mail to his publicist to throw his latest novel in the trash. His publicist might be disappointed, but Artemis didn’t want to risk fairies knowing about it. The female lead had clearly been inspired by Holly and the Lower Elements would pick up on that right away.</p><p>“Why did he feel the need to do that?” Artemis moaned. Would Holly forgive him for pulling out his phone right now?</p><p>“That was one of the first aliases that he discovered, before the trip to the arctic. So he didn’t feel the need to consider the feelings of a bratty mud boy who had recently out smarted him.” Holly said. Her eyebrows rose when Artemis, like an average teenager addicted to his phone, pulled out his phone and began hastily typing on it. “Artemis?”</p><p>“It’s nothing, Holly.” Artemis said, making every attempt to sound casual. “Just some very urgent business that simply cannot wait. It will only take a moment…” Artemis pulled up his Violet e-mail account and sent a tersely worded e-mail to his publicist to throw away his latest manuscript and get rid of all the copies. A few more key strokes and he had wired a substantial bribe directly into her account. It all took less than a minute and Artemis put his phone away. “My apologies. I promise that you have my full attention now. Now, I believe that we were discussing my various aliases and Foaly’s theory about them?”</p><p>Holly glared at his suspiciously, but then sighed. “Yes. He’s had a much harder time finding your aliases lately. Now he can only do so by tracing accounts back to your home network.”</p><p>“Similar to how he traced the Mafia's e-mail during the arctic incident?” Artemis realized.</p><p>“I think so.” Holly said. To be honest, most of the high level tech stuff went over her head. “The point is that Foaly has noticed how well you’ve been hiding the good things that you’ve been doing. No human would certainly be able to figure it out. Just last week Foaly was finally able to crack that you are one of the hackers that make up Anonymous…”</p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <span>
    <span>
      <span>A little quieter.” Artemis hissed. Out of all of his various aliases and secret identities, being a member of the hacker group was one of Artemis’ most closely guarded secret. The members were all so secretive about their membership that it was akin to being in a secret society. Every single one of the members were masterful hackers to the point where even Artemis couldn’t risk attempting to hack them to learn their names. They only knew each other through code names on the rare </span>
    </span>
  </span>
  <span>
    <span>
      <span>occasions</span>
    </span>
  </span>
  <span>
    <span>
      <span> that the members conversed online. It was under the Anonymous name that Artemis did the greatest good, but also the most illegal things of his career. Certainly many things that would cause dictators all over the world to pay to have Artemis’ head on a platter if they knew who hacked their secure government systems and spread their sick violations of human rights to the international press.</span>
    </span>
  </span>
</p><p>Artemis had thought that he had covered himself well. He never did his work in the same place twice, and certainly never from his home. His code name was a random series of numbers and letters that carried no meaning and certainly no puns for Foaly to notice. He only used burner laptops and local wireless. Perhaps a human would never be able to figure it out, but somehow Foaly had. Once again, Artemis was impressed with the centaur, as for once Foaly had accomplished something that Artemis had never expected of him. “My work with such a group could lead to possibly getting killed.” Artemis whispered softly, his lips barely moving but knowing that Holly would hear. “I would appreciate your silence in this one matter.”</p><p>Holly was just left confused. Foaly had been almost giddy with joy when he worked out this latest Fowl alias. Foaly had simply said that Anonymous was a group of largely independent hackers. Depending on whom you asked, the hacker group was either online freedom fighters or cyber terrorism. The least experienced members went after easy targets, small companies, religious institutions, and child pornography sites. The more experienced members, of which Artemis counted himself, went after corrupt governments and multinational corporations. Exposing corrupt governments and dicators was undoubtedly a good thing, but it was still achieved through highly illegal and risky hacking.</p><p>“The point is, you are doing so much good.” Holly said. “Why not let people know? Maybe not about that specific example, but there are other things that you could reveal. Your charities… not just the ones that you donate to, but the ones that you run in secret. You’ve fully engaged in the push for humans making the jump to clean energy. You developed a clean battery and instead of patenting it, you offered it to the world free of charge.”</p><p>“A minor loss.” Artemis said. “The cost of building a factory capable of making my clean battery would neutralize any possible profit that I could have made. Better to hand it off to those who all ready have the proper equipment so that the battery is much more cost effective than dirty batteries.”</p><p>“Bullshit.” Holly said bluntly. “It’s basic economics. Building a factory might not pay for itself very quickly, but over a period of years and decades, it would certainly pay for itself. Don’t pretend to be stupid, Arty. You just can’t pull it off.”</p><p>Artemis sighed. “Very well. I’ll admit that the profit for years to come sorely tempted me. And that is exactly why I gave away the designs. I am a greedy person, Holly. Whether I am doing good or bad, I would much prefer to profit from my work. But the green movement will never succeed without overcoming the hurdle of being cost effective. It <em>needs</em> to be the cheaper option. If I try to make money off these clean batteries, they will not be the cheapest option. Better to offer the batteries to those who are far more altruistic.”</p><p>“Now that actually sounds believable.” Holly said. They trailed off as their food was brought out. Once they were alone again, Holly continued the conversation. “So why do you hide?” She asked. Might as well get right to the point.</p><p>“Mostly, it’s a habit.” Artemis said. “I’ve been hiding myself behind aliases and fake identities for so long that I doubt I could drop all of the masks even if I wanted to. Even for the things that were completely legitimate, such as my entries into scientific journals. The editors would never take a child seriously, no matter the research I was attempting to publish. The aliases were simply a way to be heard without the baggage of being labeled as ‘just a child’.”</p><p>“You’re no child, Artemis.” Holly said.</p><p>Artemis’ eyes met hers, both of them ice cold blue again. “I appreciate the sentiment, but you know that I’m right. For example, if you could pretend to be a male to overcome the LEP’s sexist policies, would you not take that opportunity?”</p><p>Holly wanted to say no. But she knew the truth, and Artemis did as well. “I suppose I would.” Holly admitted. “But I don’t. I haven’t. And maybe things are better off for it. It was hard for me, personally, but do you know that when the LEP makes presentations at schools these days, there’s always one or two little girls who say that they want to join the LEP because of me? Because I showed them that it was possible. It… feels great.”</p><p>“I’m happy for you.” Artemis said. “You have always been a strong woman worthy of such admiration.”</p><p>“Why not take off some of your masks? Not all of them. Start with the benign ones if you are nervous. Let the world start to see the real you… the Artemis that I have come to know.”</p><p>
  <span>“<span><span>The ‘real me’ is hardly a great person, Holly, as you well know.” Artemis countered. “I am a criminal, even if my crime is benign these days. I am manipulative. I am greedy and selfish. </span></span></span>
  <span>
    <span>
      <span>I have trouble feeling any respect for those I see as beneath me…”</span>
    </span>
  </span>
</p><p>“Let’s not forget how humble you are, arrogant mud boy.” Holly said, giving a wry smile.</p><p>Artemis nodded. “That too.” He agreed with grace.</p><p>“You are every single one of those things.” Holly agreed. “But you are also so much better than you used to be. Once upon a time, you wouldn’t have counted any of those traits among your flaws. Did you even consider yourself to have flaws back then, or did you think you were some perfect higher being lording over us mortals?”</p><p>“Physicality has always been a weakness of mine.” Artemis said. It counted as a flaw and was one that he always knew that he had. He just didn’t care about it.</p><p>Holly snorted. Artemis was right once again. What else is new? “You’ve made great strides to being a good person over the years. I just feel that the world should be allowed to see it.”</p><p>“Do you think that humans are ready to know the real Artemis Fowl the Second? Are fairies ready to know about the real me?” Artemis asked.</p><p>“Humans, most likely yes. With the fairies, it might be a harder sell. But I can tell you at least a few fairies who are rather fond of you. Mulch. Foaly. Commander Root when he was alive. Me.” Holly said. “You might have to save the world a few more times for the rest, however. Human bigotry has existed among the people longer than the Fowls have been criminals.”</p><p>“Stopping Armageddon once was not enough?” Artemis asked. “The People continue to hold me up to the highest of standards.”</p><p>“Only because you can meet them.” Holly pointed out.</p><p>“True. True.” Artemis admitted, thinking of the numerous plans that he had that would leave the world a better place. Perhaps it was time to finally reveal himself to the world? At the very least to step up as an ally to progressive agendas. He was, after all, legally nineteen and was a legal adult in every developed nation on Earth. No longer would he be patronized for being ‘just a kid.’ People might still doubt him for his youth, but Artemis had always been skilled at disabusing others of the notion that he was ‘just a kid’. How strange would it be to know that people would finally recognize him for his achievements and not an alias?</p><p>The Fowl family seemed to finally be ready to step out from their century-long legacy, to become a force of good for the world. To give as much as was taken. For the most part.</p><p>Artemis would always be a little bit crooked. But perhaps that was just what was needed, an ally for good who was willing to do what it took to stop those who were so much worse in their tracks. He could be that bastion for good within the dark, shady underworld.</p><p>When Artemis finally got home after bidding Holly farewell to return to Tara, he made his way to his personal computer in his lab. He booted up the computer and pulled up his plans for the ultra-light solar panel coating for vehicles. It was just about ready to send off, but Artemis made one quick change. He used Control+F to find all of the mentions of his alias name on the paper and changed them all to his own name. Artemis hesitated a moment before attaching the plans to an e-mail and sending it off to his contacts within the green movement.</p><p>Ready or not, the world would soon know the name of Artemis Fowl the Second, not as a criminal mastermind alone, but as someone trying to save the world.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>The main goal with this story was to show Artemis as still a little criminal, but ultimately as a good guy in honor of the spirit of the books and a kick to the face of the movie. Because Disney done messed our boy up, and gray-and-gray morality is so much more interesting than simple black-and-white morality.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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